Eyeliner
by mschello
Summary: A kpop au where idols' eye makeup can hide their identities. Non-kpop fan friendly :)
1. Scandal

**Hi guys! This is my first fanfiction and I thought of this au while at the dentist haha. I've been quite excited to put this concept into words and I hope you all enjoy :D**

Marinette dragged herself up the narrow staircase, each step more laborious than she had ever remembered feeling climbing the familiar slope to the dorm rooms. She turned a corner and reached the second door on the left, unlocking it with her last bit of strength and collapsing onto her bed.

Today had been particularly exhausting. It was two days before their comeback was scheduled to begin, and her schedule was unbelievably hectic. She had woken up at the crack of dawn, been swept to a reality TV show, gone straight back to the dance studio to rehearse, attended a fan signing in a faraway town (the paparazzi at the airport was nauseating) and finally attended a 2 hour vocal lesson. And those measly sweet potato and salmon meals were certainly not enough to satisfy her raging appetite.

Marinette sighed. On days like these, all she wanted to do was to be back at her family bakery, helping her mom and dad make croissants and pastries, where calories weren't counted and her waist line wasn't recorded.

Oh wait! Tomorrow was Sunday, which meant break day, and she could do exactly that! She let out a faint whoop and her eyes slowly fluttered shut at the thought that she could finally unwind a bit the following day.

When Marinette was on the brink of drifting asleep, the door swung open with a loud bang and the lights illuminated the room. Marinette groaned, rolling to her side and shielding her eyes.

"Rise and shine, Marinette!" a familiar voice laughed.

"Come on Alya, it's been a long day" Marinette mumbled back.

"Alright, alright. I'll let you rest" Alya laughed again. "But I have some news for you before you're out for the day".

Marinette grunted to signal for her to continue.

Alya's voice raised a pitch or two, and Marinette braced herself for the juicy gossip her tech-savvy friend had picked up this time. However, nothing would've prepared her for what was coming.

"You're in a dating scandal with Chat Noir" Alya sang.

"WHAT?!"

"I said you're in a scandal with Chat Noir" Alya said again, with the same knowing smile plastered across her face.

"I know what you said, but Chat Noir?! Of all people?" Marinette exclaimed with her hands held high, all signs of sleep shaken from her. Oh no, this was bad. This was very, very bad.

"Wait, what's wrong? Sure it's a scandal, but the black leather and the messy blonde hair?" Alya pretended to swoon and fell onto her bed across from Marinette's.

Marinette groaned again. "Are you sure this isn't just one of those fake attention-seeking headers on those trash celebrity gossip sites you follow? Oh no, don't tell me it's Dispatch!"

Alya laughed "Calm down, Marinette. This one's big for sure and there's even a picture that's been spreading everywhere! I'm surprised that our infamous phone burglar hadn't heard of this yet." With that, Alya's thumbs flew across her phone until she pulled up the alleged photo.

Marinette squinted. It was blurry and set in one of the nearby parks. Under a street light, a figure with two black cat ears stood next to a girl with two pigtails clad in high-rise red jeggings splattered with black spots. The cat boy gently hooked a finger under the girl's chin, tipping it up so that their gazes connected. The picture definitely looked like they were in the middle of something, but it was taken at an angle where their facial features were hidden from the camera.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Ugh, why are people so dense? It's probably just cosplayers for god's sake and I really don't have time to deal with a scandal on my day off".

Finally, Alya began to sympathize with her friend. "Hey, that's why we live double lives, right? Just take off your makeup and put on some different clothes and, tada! No paparazzi to bother Ladybug while she's walking down the streets as a normal girl."

Marinette smiled. She was glad that Alya was always there for her when she needed her.

"You're right, Alya. Sorry if I wasn't myself tonight. It's just that this week was really tough and scandals are never fun. After all, we both know how my last one went down."

The two broke out into laughter. Ladybug's first scandal was still fresh in their minds like it had happened just yesterday. She had been falsely rumored to be dating "tomato boy", a nickname given to Evillustrator, a member of the same band Chat Noir was in. A fan with a backstage pass had taken a picture of the idol giving Ladybug a drawing he had been working on. Ladybug had been smiling in the picture, a genuine smile at the sweet message that had been scrawled in the corner of the Ladybug drawing. That picture had definitely not been a fraud, but the ship name was what made the whole scandal note-worthy. "Tomato bug" trended for several weeks and Marinette almost felt bad because the ironically shy Evillustrator had been confessing his real feelings that day. She had hoped nothing to that scale would happen ever again, yet here she was.

After the two had calmed down and climbed back into bed, Alya suddenly let out a squeal.

Marinette rolled her eyes with a smile. "What now, Lady Wi-Fi?"

"Oh my god, you won't believe this! Ladynoir is trending on tumblr and all the fan art and edits are so cute! Oh, this one's my favorite so far!"

Alya held her phone out to Marinette, and despite how much she told herself not to, she stole a look.

The fanart was of Ladybug and Chat Noir on the stage, dancing and singing a duet together.

"Bleh" Marinette said, sticking her tongue out and feigning a look of disgust. She immediately turned to the side to hide the brush creeping up into her cheeks because "my gosh, they were kind of cute together".

Alya laughed and continued scrolling, sometimes squealing and other times liking or reblogging with her anonymous account.

"Okay, Ladybug, I'll let you get your beauty sleep" she said a few moments later.

She glanced over at her friend when she was met with no reply, only to find her already sound asleep.  
"Wow, she must've been really tired if the fact that local cat boy was shipped with her didn't cause her to lose a few hours of sleep" Alya remarked.

She stood up and turned off the lights before sinking into her worn bed. Alya looked at her friend's sleeping form and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Oh, Marinette. You are in for one wild ride."

 **Hope you guys like what I have so far! I'm super excited and I have a lot of great things planned for this fic :)**

 **Also, if anyone has any suggestions for the girl group name and boy band name that would be great! (Girls: Ladybug, Lady Wi-Fi, Reflekta, Princess Fragrance, Timebreaker, Horrificator; Boys: Dark Cupid, Chat Noir, Bubbler, Evillustrator, Gamer, Stoneheart; Second girl group: Antibug, Vanisher, other anonymous girls)**


	2. Strangers

"In the daytime, I'm Marinette,  
Just a normal girl with a normal life.  
But there's something about me that no one knows yet,  
'Cause I have a secret."

Marinette began to hum a song she had been working on in her spare time as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror and got ready for the day. She brushed her blue-black hair into her usual pigtails, even though her manager had advised against it in order to protect her identity. She had worn a bun on a few occasions just in case, but she always felt more comfortable with her signature pigtails in place.

Today she wore some pink jeans, a white T-shirt with a flower design, and a dusty grey blazer, careful to not have any clothing on that would associate herself with Ladybug.

On her way out, her eyes fell onto her favorite pair of earrings she wore as her stage persona, a minimalistic but delicate pair of red clip-ons with blacks spots. Marinette hesitated for a moment, and against all logic, instinctively reached out her hand and put on the jewelry in a quick sweep.

When she arrived downstairs, everyone was already having breakfast. All eyes turned to her when she stepped foot into the kitchen.

"What?" Marinette asked, confused.

An onslaught of teasing poured forth in an instance.

"So, Chat Noir, huh?"  
"About time you guys hooked up, Marinette"  
"Invite me to your wedding~"  
"I have to say, the picture looked quite real and very shippable"  
"Oh! Can we go on a double date? Like next week? How about the movies, that sounds fun!"

The last remark came from Mylène, who had become official with Ivan, or Stoneheart, a month ago and had practically been inseparable since they came out to the public.

Marinette hid her face behind her hands and found her usual seat. Ugh, and just like that her day reserved for Marinette had already been plagued by her idol life.

After she settled down with a cup of light soymilk, a banana, and a cup of lightly salted vegetables (gosh, she couldn't wait to have some real food), she looked around at her band members.

"Okay, just to clear things up, we all know that the picture was entirely fake, right?"

From left to right, Rose, Juleka, Mylène, Alix, and Alya sat with their heads cupped in their hands, blinking at her simultaneously with a smile on their faces.

Marinette sighed. Clearly, this was not going to work.

"Fine. I'll satisfy your little shipper hearts later but let me just have today to be Marinette, okay?"

The others nodded understandingly, knowing how important it was for their sanity to keep their personal and professional lives separate. The conversation then resumed its usual course, alternating between idol gossip, their upcoming comeback schedule, and what they each had planned today.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Ivan and I are going to the arcade in a bit. Oh my gosh, I can't wait to play their new guitar hero game!" Mylène left with a wave and was out the door in less than a minute.

Marinette sighed dreamily. "Wow, they're made for each other."

"Says herself" Alya snickered behind her hand.

Marinette shot her a look and jokingly smacked her on the arm, only to find that her friend's muscles had hardened considerably in the past month.

"Ouch, guess DJ Wi-Fi has its benefits, huh?" Marinette winced.

"Yup, Nino and I can be pretty competitive" Alya beamed "I finally got him back in an arm wrestling match after he beat me in Mario Kart the other day." She flexed her muscles for extra emphasis.

"Hey, Alya. DJ Wi-Fi up to joining a match Kim and I are having today? It's gonna be a tough one - rollerblading, skateboarding, soccer. You name it, we've got it." Alix leaned on the table and arched an eyebrow towards the girl.

"It's on", Alya shot back, eyes sparkling with anticipation. The two walked off into the room next door, Alya phoning Nino to ask if he was up to the challenge and Alix walking nearby making a list of any other activities she came up with.

Rose, Juleka, and Marinette finished their breakfasts at the table.

"Hey Marinette, we're gonna go shopping today. Care to join us?" Rose asked with wide blue eyes turned toward the pig-tailed girl.

"Oh no, I'm just going to visit my parents today. Thanks so much for the offer though!" Marinette replied back with a smile.

Rose and Juleka smiled back and walked to the dorm rooms to gather their stuff for the day.

Marinette sat back and giggled. Those two were so adorable together, no wonder they were such a popular ship among the fans.

Finally, Marinette decided to get going as well. She didn't want to keep her parents waiting and those pastries were almost begging her taste buds for a visit.

She grabbed her pink shoulder bag and walked outside into the crisp spring air. She caught the closest bus to her parent's house and picked a seat towards the back to sit down and plug in her earphones. Her favorite song lately had been one off of their sibling boy band's new album (they were often called their sibling group because they had debuted around the same time and had the same number of members, not to mention the close relationships between both members and managers). Marinette bobbed her head to the beat until a finger tapped her on the shoulder.

She looked over and was met with a pair of brilliant but mysterious olive green eyes. The girl who had tapped her had dark-toned skin and wore an orange cardigan, a black romper, grey knit leggings, and brown mules along with a pair of sunglasses that sat comfortably on her thick brown hair. Her stylish ensemble was complimented with a foxy gleam in her eyes.

Marinette took off her earphones, both curious and slightly guarded of this seemingly clever stranger.

"Hi, I'm Lila, nice to meet you! I saw you listening to Blaqq Label's new album and I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself to a fellow fangirl" Lila smiled.

Marinette visibly relaxed. "Hi Lila, I'm Marinette! Nice to meet you too" Marinette offered. "I was just listening to Black and Red and I'm a big fan of the melody!"

"Oh my gosh, I know right?" Lila gushed. "And oh, don't even get me started on Chat Noir's rap. Ugh his voice is just so husky and I have to pause the music every time it gets to his part!"

Marinette laughed. There was definitely nothing dangerous about this girl. "Yeah, he is the main rapper after all. But I'm a big fan of Evillustrator's line towards the end."

"Oh, that one's great too!" Lila piped. Suddenly, she glanced around and her voice became hushed. She cupped her hand against Marinette's ear and whispered "so Ladynoir's totally real, amirite".

Marinette pulled back harshly. "No, of course not!" she exclaimed.

Lila's eyes widened and a few other passengers turned to look at them.

Marinette cursed silently for being brash and endangering her secret identity. She gestured apologetically at the passengers and turned back to Lila. In a softer voice, she said "what I mean is, it's only one picture right? And you can't even see their faces so it's probably just cosplayers or something".

Lila brightened. "Oh yeah, duh! Oh my god, that means I have a chance with Chat Noir! But if Ladynoir _was_ real, I would totally be jealous of Ladybug" she winked.

Marinette, confused, opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when the bus jolted to a stop and Lila stood up. "Well, here's my stop! Nice meeting you, Marinette."

Lila turned with a swish of her hair and hopped off the bus, waving at Marinette brightly from her place down on the sidewalk. The bus drove off and her eyes instantly darkened.

"Or should I say, Ladybug."

* * *

Marinette stepped off the bus onto the familiar pavement and strolled toward her parent's bakery on the corner of the street. On her right, an advertisement for the upcoming movie, "Real" was plastered on the wall. Kim Soo Hyun was going to be starring as Jang Tae Young, a merciless trouble shooter in a criminal world. Marinette made a mental note to watch the k-drama later when she had time. Correction, if she had time. It was quite unfortunate that the drama clashed with her packed comeback schedule, unlike when she was able to enjoy "You Who Came From the Stars" two years ago with her band members while resting after a comeback had ended.  
The girl shook her head. Today was Marinette's day. No Ladybug, no fans, and absolutely no scandals. She set her shoulders and continued to walk forwards.

Marinette sat on a patch of grass. Today had been a good day. The smell of fresh pastries had enveloped her the moment she had opened the door, and her parents had embraced her with open arms. They had spent the day making croissants and catching up on how their week went, and then they had played a board game in the living room while the TV rolled on. A few hours after lunch, she had waved goodbye to her parents and walked to her absolute favorite place in Seoul to brainstorm some fashion ideas for her and her bandmates.

* * *

It was a grassy, shady spot in a local park that nestled underneath the most beautiful cherry blossom tree Marinette had ever seen. Its long, delicate branches stretched across the sky, each dotted with endless pale pink petals that sometimes drifted downward and landed lightly on Marinette's sketchbook. Its sweet scent wrapped around the girl, giving her a sense of peace amidst the warm spring air.

Suddenly, a drop of water landed on Marinette's sketchbook. She peered up, only to see storm clouds rapidly approaching her way. "Oh no, how did I forget to bring my umbrella in the middle of the spring showers?!" the girl berated herself. She hurriedly gathered her belongings and dashed towards the nearest bus stop. At this rate, she was never going to make it without getting completely and utterly drenched.

Marinette had begun to lose hope as the droplets that fell upon her shoulders steadily grew in number, until she felt a sudden shadow over herself. The rain drops stopped and she looked up into the most gorgeous set of eyes she had ever seen. Crystal green smiled mirthfully back at her, and for a moment, everything else disappeared.

"Well I never expected to find someone all alone here at this time of day. Did you run away from home too?"

Marinette was still stunned speechless.

Seeing that the girl was seemingly at a loss for words, the blonde boy scratched the back of his neck uncertainly and gazed upwards. The storm grew increasingly worse and thunder boomed in the distance. He continued in his somber tone with a faint smile on his lips "Sometimes it's nice to escape for a bit, you know. Push your expectations to the side for a while and just experience what life has to offer. Say, how about-"

A gruff voice shouted through the downpour from a limo that pulled up by the road. "Young man, get back here this instant! As your father, I decide what's best for you and _not_ the other way around!"

The boy winced and his shoulders slumped. "Yes, father", he answered dejectedly.

However, before he left, he turned to Marinette and offered her his black umbrella. She willed herself to accept his encouraging smile and extended arm and quickly grasped onto the umbrella's handle, accidentally brushing his hand and causing an electric current to shoot up her arm and down her spine. Suddenly, her finger slipped and the umbrella zipped shut with a snap.

The boy burst into laughter at Marinette's clumsy yet adorable action, and Marinette peered out from beneath the umbrella with a darkening blush. With a final wave, the boy walked toward the limo and glanced back in the downpour to make sure that the girl was okay. She waved back and before she knew it, the boy had vanished into the car and both had sped off into the night.

"W-wait, I didn't get to ask your name...!" Marinette called, but it was too late. She sighed and stood with his umbrella in the rainy evening, events from the past few minutes still whirling in her head.

The only thing she was certain of at that moment was the fast thumping of her heart against her chest, which only meant one thing. She had caught what she had dreaded the most, the evil mastermind that had caused her friends' downfalls into pathetic, lovey dovey piles of goo – feelings.

"...Well, shit."

 **Wow, that chapter was super long. I decided I just had to have an umbrella scene in the fic, and I changed up the dialogue a bit. Anyways, next chapter is from Chat Noir's POV, so look forward to that :D Also, suggestions for band names are still welcome!**


	3. I've Fallen For You and I Cat Get Up

Adrien was ecstatic.

He took out his keys and unlocked the heavy top secret make-up door where idols were born and boy-next-door personas were shed.

The room revealed a crowd of stylists and idols shuffling around in disarray, and Adrien made out the forms of the Blaqq Label members getting fussed at by their stylists while donning glittery outfits and wearing extravagant eye makeup.

He whistled while strolling over to his designated chair, a posh, all black leather bar stool facing a brightly lit mirror with the name "Chat Noir" plated in gold on top.

He bounded onto the chair and whirled around to his personal make-up artist and stylist slash manager.

"Plagg, transform me!"

The tall and lanky man appeared from behind a pile of hair products, a pencil hanging from his mouth. He wore his usual black button-down and vest, both slightly unkempt. An electric green tie hung loosely around his neck and the messy knot showed that a) he clearly didn't care, or b) he still didn't know how to tie a tie even at the grand age of 23...or both. Long black slacks with thin dark grey vertical stripes lined his lower body and the ensemble was topped off with a pair of black leather shoes and a classy black bowler hat.

Plagg peered down his glasses. "You know Adrien, I think you've been watching too much anime."

Adrien made a face back at his stylist "And I think YOU'VE been eating too much Camembert".

Plagg gasped dramatically. "Well something's gotta keep Seoul's number one Chat Noir stylist in top shape, eh?"

Adrien rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Plagg. Let's just get this started with and next time, finish your cheese before you put on my makeup, okay?"

Plagg grunted through a mouthful of Camembert and took out Chat Noir's makeup palette.

Moments later, Chat Noir leaned towards the mirror to inspect his makeup artist's work.

"Wow, I've _cat_ to say Plagg, I'm impressed"

Plagg smirked and nodded. He certainly had outdone himself this time. Shimmery green eyeshadow faded into a husky emerald shade while a smoky black eyeshadow settled in the crease. Lithe lines of black eyeliner swept along the upper and lower lash line and faded into the statement piece - a splattering of small leopard print and two tiny green gems that decorated the upper corners of Chat Noir's eyes. A touch of gold in the inner corners neatly wrapped up the look and complemented his crystal green irises. Of course, it was thanks to the special chemical-infused eyeliner specifically designed for kpop idols that sealed in Adrien's identity.

Chat Noir leaped off of his seat and to his wardrobe. On it hung an array of various pieces made of black leather. "So, what's for store today, Plagg?" Chat Noir called over his shoulder as his fingertips nimbly flicked between the costumes.

"Well I was thinking black skinny jeans, combat boots, and a special piece I had commissioned from a young and talented fashion designer" Plagg remarked with a glint in his eye.

He rummaged through a pile of clothes until he found a shirt that Chat Noir had never seen before.

"Ta-da! Thought you'd like this one" Plagg beamed.

In his hands was a black shirt made of a soft, thin material with only one sleeve. On the other arm, thick bands of black leather circled down from the shoulder down, criss-crossing and spiraling in a seductive pattern.

Chat Noir was in love. After making some incomprehensible noises and what sounded like a meow, he grabbed the clothes and sped to the nearest changing room. Moments later, he emerged in his new all-black outfit and sauntered over to his chair.

Plagg was there in an instant, quickly styling his hair in a flurry of combs and brushes and hairspray, a well-practiced routine that resulted in the messy dirty blonde locks that Chat Noir's fans were so fond of.

Chat Noir stood up and stretched, heading over to the exit when Plagg stopped him in his path.

"Hold on Chat, I think you forgot something" Plagg commented. He took out a gold choker necklace with a bell attached to the center and slipped it onto Chat's neck. The bell jingled once it settled into place and he smiled hearing its signature sound.

"Thanks Plagg, you're _meow_ nificent", Chat winked.

Plagg glowered and pushed the trash boy out into the hallway. "Bye bye, little cattion, you've got a show to catch."

* * *

Chat Noir walked toward the entrance to the set of Weekly Idol, the show he would be on next. Dark Cupid and Gamer were going in the opposite direction and waved to Chat, both also decked out in skin-tight clothes and guy liner.

Dark Cupid called out "Hey Chat, we're just checking on the others to make sure they make it on time. You can wait here or come along with us."

"Thanks, I'll just wait here", Chat replied with a salute and a tip of his head. He didn't mind slowing down his busy idol lifestyle once in a while.

He sat down on the bench in the brightly lit hallway. On the wall facing him was a TV screen showcasing a live stream of the show airing on the opposite side of the door.

What Chat saw was none other than his sister band, Lukki Charms, a six-member group consisting of Ladybug, Lady Wi-Fi, Timebreaker, Horrificator, Reflekta, and Princess Fragrance. Ladybug was the most popular member within the band, but what for, Chat had no clue. He thought all of them were equally magnificent.

On the screen, the girls were playing Weekly Idol's infamous random dance game, where clips of the band's title tracks were played at random and the contenders had to sync up and dance to the music to the best of their ability.

Only a few seconds into the fourth song, Timebreaker collapsed onto the ground with a painful thud.

"That's the third time today, "main dancer"! If we keep cutting everything due to _your_ mistakes, there'll be nothing left!" a voice thundered from behind the scenes.

Chat Noir shivered. Was that…Papillon? What was he doing here? This was definitely not going to be pretty.

The music stopped and the girls rushed to help Timebreaker up. Ladybug stood with her hands on her hips facing ML Entertainment's CEO, Papillon.

"Well maybe if _someone_ actually _cared_ for their idols' health, this wouldn't have happened! Did you think Timebreaker's ankle would just miraculously heal without medicine? That she didn't have to walk with cruthces all the way across town to the pharmacy because her boss was, oh how should I say this, too _busy_ to get her a measly bottle of pills?"

The room was stark-silent. No one dared to challenge Papillon because he could easily fire them and disguise it as a resignation to the public eye.

"Uh Ladybug, I'm fine you really don't have to-", Timebreaker managed.

Ladybug gave Timebreaker a reassuring smile and turned back to Papillon. "Sir, I think you've forgotten just what a kpop idol is. Sure a kpop idol covers their bruises on their arms and legs with concealer on a daily basis, but that doesn't mean we're ashamed of them. Our scars and mistakes show that we're human beings, that we work hard just like everybody else to be where we are today. And our fans don't love us because we're perfect, but because we fight through to bring them great music and performances. They treat us better than you ever will; you make us work from sun-up until sun-down and sometimes into the early morning, you starve us with ridiculous diets and pressure us into doing plastic surgery, and you cover up incidents where we land in the hospital after collapsing onstage from exhaustion as "simple dehydration"."

Papillon stepped forward "Why you little-"

Ladybug smirked. "I'm guessing you're thinking something along the lines of "I want to fire this bitch right now", but I'm not exactly sure that's what your wallet wants. If you fire me that'll be" Ladybug counted on her fingers "roughly 25% of your income gone."

Papillon was at a loss for words.

"Alright now that we've settled that, how about next time you decide you want your idols to be glittery perfection, you give us six hours of sleep and actual food for meals. Deal?" Ladybug cocked her head.

Papillon growled and glared at the camera before the screen went black.

Moments later, the members of Lukki Charms emerged from the door. Timebreaker was limping and was supported by Horrificator's small frame, Reflekta and Princess Fragrance followed while worryingly wringing their hands, and Lady Wi-Fi and Ladybug emerged lastly walking side by side.

"Way to go Ladybug, standing up to Papillon like that" Lady Wi-Fi commented, slapping her friend on the back.

"Do you think a little overboard? I mean it's not going to be broadcasted but I feel like my pay's gonna be lowered again" Ladybug worried.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen. After all, you were only doing the right thing" Lady Wi-Fi reassured her.

Chat Noir sat on the bench while watching the idols walk by. After shaking out of his daze, he ran to catch up with the group.

"Hello ladies, may I speak to Ladybug for a second?" Chat Noir asked, attempting his signature smolder.

"Yeah, she went to use the restroom over there." Lady Wi-Fi replied.

"Gamsahamnida, Lady Wi-Fi", Chat Noir said with a bow.

He strolled towards the restroom and leaned on the wall, feigning nonchalance. However, it was quite difficult to imitate considering his heart was racing at a mile per minute. After Ladybug had delivered her speech, Chat Noir had made a silent vow – "Wow, doesn't matter who's under that eyeliner but… I love her, this girl".

The door of the women's restroom opened and Ladybug appeared.

"Hello, my Lady. That was quite a _mew_ ment you whipped up back there, eh?" Chat Noir winked.

Ladybug smiled and rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the compliment, little kitty, but I'm afraid we can't be found together too often because of the dating scandal."

"I myself am rather fond of this little scandal thing we have going on. In fact, I've got the perfect idea to spice things up!" Chat Noir pulled out his phone from his pocket and snapped a selfie with Ladybug.

"Hey Chat, that was completely uncalled for! Don't you dare post that" Ladybug growled, trying to snatch the phone from Chat's grasp.

"Nuh uh uh, I don't think so, Ladybug." He held the phone high above the girl's head, tapped in a short caption, added a ladybug emoji, and posted it onto his Instagram. "If it's your face you're worried about, I'll say that you look absolutely _claw_ some" Chat smirked at Ladybug who was becoming increasingly heated.

Just then, an announcement went off in the corridor, "Five minutes until Weekly Idol begins airing. Blaqq Label, please resume your positions."

With his head turned at the distraction, Ladybug nimbly stole his phone without him noticing and tucked it into her pocket.

"Oh your show, you have to go. Go on, see you, Chat Noir!" Ladybug pushed Chat Noir into the hallway.

As he turned, Chat Noir looked back over his shoulder at the girl who had won his heart.

"Oh, I can't wait, my Lady."

"Today, we have for you the popular rock band known for their multi-talented instrumentalists and their all-black wardrobes. Please welcome Blaqq Label!" Alec Cataldi, the show host, announced with a flourish of his arm.

The boys lined up in their usual order and bowed to the camera. "Annyeonghaseyo! We are Blaqq Label, please take care of us!" the members said simultaneously.

One by one, the boys introduced themselves and their positions.

* * *

"Nino, you won't believe what happened today! Ladybug stood up to Papillon and completely owned him!" Adrien exclaimed with his hands in the air.

"No way! And she wasn't fired?" Nino asked incredulously.

"Nope! Wow, I wish I recorded it" Adrien sighed wistfully, reaching for his pocket. He pawed at his jeans but the phone was nowhere to be found. _Huh, must've left it on the van,_ Adrien thought.

Adrien, Nino, and the other four boys were on their way back to the dorm rooms. They had taken their makeup off earlier and were looking forward to a nice break after two live performances at M Countdown.

Adrien immediately ran to the room he shared with Nino and opened up his desktop computer. "Ladybug, ladybug, ladybug" he murmured, while opening up her profile, fan page, and an online shopping website. In a few minutes, he had already signed up for an account as a Ladybug fan and ordered $50 worth of Ladybug merchandise.

"Someone's in love", Nino sang, looking over his friend's shoulder.

Adrien jumped and accidentally hit Nino on the nose.

"No I'm not! Ouch, I mean sorry, Nino…um… well, okay, maybe I like her a little" Adrien admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Nino rubbed his nose as he watched his flustered, blustering friend. "Wow, and I thought I'd never see the day that Adrien Agreste fell in love" Nino laughed.

"Whatever", Adrien replied, blush still dusting his cheeks.

* * *

Marinette took out the phone that she had hidden in her pocket for a good eight hours. She opened up the lock screen and there were several notifications already lined up. She almost felt bad for stealing the phone, but she convinced herself that it was just because she was deleting a picture. Marinette skimmed through the notifications and tried to unlock the phone but to no avail.

Suddenly, an alarm popped up. Marinette squeaked and dropped the phone, then slowly crawled back to it when she saw that the coast was clear.

"Fencing practice", she mused.

Something fishy was going on here.

 **Hi there :) I finally got the band names together with great thanks to novella12nite from ao3! Blaqq Label was a tribute to Fiestar, who sang the Miraculous Ladybug theme song for the Korean dub. (I tried to combine Plagg and Black but Blagg was a little weird so I went with Blaqq.) Lukki Charms was also suggested by novella12nite and this time, Tikki and Lucky combined nicely. Again, thank you so much novella12nite; I couldn't have done it without you 3**


	4. A Mari Encounter

"Okay guys, meet back here in 2 hours and don't be late!" Miss Bustier announced after gathering the girls at the conclusion of dance practice.

Today, every second counted. Ladybug hurriedly threw her towel, heels (they were basically a necessity in girl group dances), and energy drink into her pink duffel bag and wiped off her simple eyeliner with a make-up wipe she kept handy in her pocket.

She ran to her dorm room and grabbed the infamous black umbrella, Chat Noir's phone, a notepad, a GPS, and some binoculars. On her way out, she ran into Lady Wi-Fi who was busy editing her blog's theme.

Lady Wi-Fi scanned the odd collection of shady objects in Marinette's hands. "Um…it's not raining outside, Marinette" she commented with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"I-it's for a thing I'm doing! It's called…research? Yeah, school project you know. Wait, I'm not in school! …Uh bye gotta go!" Marinette fumbled her way through the door.

Once outside, she slumped against the wall. "Wow, that was a close one" she gasped. She took out the umbrella and checked to see if the elegant embroidery she had noticed last night was still etched into the handle. Yup, still there. The almost imperceptible mark had sparked her interest – an exquisite word, "Agreste", written in small, delicate cursive.

Marinette sighed. A beautiful name for a beautiful boy. The black umbrella in her hands made images of the unforgettable rainy Sunday night resurface and memories flashed in Marinette's mind. The kindness and sincerity in the boy's voice. The loneliness that hid within the depths of his green eyes. The slump of his shoulders when his father had berated him. And a question, "Did you run away from home too?" Marinette's heart had broken at that one sentence. She wanted to find him and tell him everything was going to be alright, to wrap a blanket around his shoulders and feed him warm croissants in front of a fireplace. She didn't know what was going on behind the scenes, but she did know that the angelic boy did not deserve the treatment he had received that night, and quite possibly, his entire life.

Marinette lifted herself to her feet and looked up with defiance. She had a mission to accomplish.

* * *

Marinette biked down the street and tried to balance all of the equipment that was balancing precariously on the handles. "Okay, take a left, go straight one block, and it should be on the right" Marinette nodded to herself.

The phone in her pocket buzzed and she looked down. "Modeling in 10 minutes" it read. For some reason, the cat boy knew something about the Agreste family, or at least he knew their schedules. "Psh, what a stalker" Marinette sneered.

She hid behind a crystal clean marble staircase and looked upon the mansion before her. It sparkled underneath the sunshine and overshadowed everything in its vicinity, rising from the concrete like a princess's dream house. "Wow…" Marinette marveled.

Just then, the blonde boy emerged from the front door and was escorted to a limo by a hulking and unsmiling man. Marinette was so stunned by his beauty that she forgot why she was there. She shook her head violently and ran towards the limo. "Um, you forgot your umbrella! I mean, you didn't forget it but I have it! It's super pretty! Like you…" Marinette called in a valiant effort to the limo that had already taken off. Rats, that was twice already.

The girl had no choice but to chase after the car. Moments later, she arrived at a modeling agency that was a few streets away from the mansion. Panting, Marinette parked her bike in the shadow of a tree and set her stuff down. She picked up her notepad and pen and looked at the building. "Okay…Etude House Modeling Agency, 37-3, Myeongdong 8-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul. 2:30 pm Tuesday, April 5th, 2016"she murmured, scribbling down the information while keeping a careful watch on the door.

Marinette's arms were beginning to ache from holding the binoculars for so long when the angel once again graced the world with his presence. This time, she determinedly set her gear down and picked up the black umbrella.

"Okay, Marinette, you can do this. Hello Mr. Agreste, I'm here to return your umbrella. It was very nice of you to lend it to me. Please marry me" she rehearsed.

"Agh, no, he'll get creeped out! Lemme try again."

"Hi Mr. Agreste! Here's your umbrella and here's my hand. Please put a ring on it and let's go adopt hampsters?"

"No, that's even worse! Focus, Marinette."

By the time Marinette was done slapping some sense into herself, the black limo was nowhere to be seen again. The poor girl face-palmed.

* * *

Crap, she'd really done it this time. Marinette had successfully tracked down the limo after a hard-fought fifteen minutes of biking around Seoul, but a simple turn around a corner and she was back to square one. She sighed and found a place to rest at a bus stop. Suddenly, Chat Noir's phone buzzed and an alert popped up.

She picked up the phone and cheered. "Ooh! Basketball practice at Banpo Lake Sports Park! I've got to thank him later for the help" Marinette beamed.

After a quick GPS redirect, she was off once again.

* * *

Marinette arrived at an outdoors basketball court and saw the boys already playing a game. "God bless for outdoor courts" she whispered with binoculars in hand, her eyes fixated on the blonde angel.

She had already taken note of the time and address of the basketball practice earlier and she now let herself relax into her blissful stalker fortress, a pile of equipment hidden in the shadows of a dark alley that had a clear view of the court.

Practice ended and the Agreste model excused himself to use the restroom. Several minutes had passed since he went in and Marinette tapped her foot impatiently. Did all cute boys take this long to use the restroom?

Moments later, a dark figure emerged from the restrooms. Before she could process what was going on, the figure had hurdled into Marinette and her stalker haven had been scattered across the floor.

"Hey, watch where you're go-"Marinette winced while rubbing the back of her head.

"Uh…Chat Noir? What are you doing here?"

The idol in front of her did not look like his usual self. His eyeliner was smeared and messy, and the black hoodie he wore was backwards, although the cat ears on the hood were no doubt Chat's.

"Sorry Princess, no time to explain. But we have to go now, okay?" Chat pressed hurriedly.

Marinette glanced longingly in the direction of the boy's restroom, only to find the gorilla escort standing guard outside the door. Still no sign of Mr. Future Groom Agreste. "Okay kitty, but I'm getting an explanation after all of this" Marinette pouted.

Chat helped Marinette gather her things, pausing shortly at the open notebook, and gently grabbed her wrist. He ran over to the pink bike and hopped on, looking over his shoulder at the girl. "Hang onto me, okay? I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm fine, Chat. I think you're the one we should be more concerned about here" Marinette said rolling her eyes, nonetheless wrapping her arms around the cat boy. The soft material of the hoodie nestled against her body and his stomach was firm under her arms with the faint outline of a six-pack. _As to be expected of an idol_ , Marinette thought.

The two sped along the busy streets of Seoul, an odd sighting at best. Chat Noir hid his face in the shadows of his hood and Marinette's bundle of stalking equipment clanged awkwardly against her pink bike. After a few minutes of twists and turns, Chat stopped in a dark alley.

"Seriously, what's with the shady alleys?" Marinette said, stepping off the bike and dusting off her blazer.

"Well, I guess you could call me…an _alley_ cat" Chat winked.

Marinette almost punched him.

"Okay, explanation, now" she demanded.

Chat agreed and the two sat down on the dirty floor.

"Well…how should I start this" Chat said hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck. "…I was running away and happened to bump into you?"

Marinette crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

Chat sighed dejectedly. "Okay so I sort of live this double life and let's just say I'm fonder of my idol one. I have a ton of expectations to withhold on both sides but my citizen ones can be unbearable at times. It's like they expect me to be a robot or something! "Smile more, you look depressed" or "You can't hang out with your friends, they're a bad influence". And the worst part is my father! He makes me so mad sometimes and I just – hey, is that my phone?" Chat eyed something glinting from Marinette's pocket.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean, why would I have it?" Marinette panicked. The phone fell to the ground with a loud clatter that echoed around the small alley. Marinette laughed awkwardly.

Chat stooped to pick it up and cocked his head to the side. "Where did you find it?"

Marinette panicked again. "My dog, Chloe, gave it to me after she found it in a puddle while she was playing fetch! Oh, but, surprise, the phone didn't get damaged at all, isn't that great?" She stared at Chat with her eyes wide and her teeth clenched into a forced smile. _Chloe, really Marinette?_ the girl wondered with disgust. If she remembered correctly, Chloe was her childhood bully. She wondered how she was doing now but shook the thought away, name still sour on her tongue.

Chat clicked his tongue. "You have _cat_ to work on your lying, Princess."

Before Marinette could shoot back a snarky comment, Chat Noir jumped forward and the two clashed clumsily against the wall. Chat's arms were on either side of Marinette's head and the space between them was almost stifling.

"Whatever you do, don't look at Natalie" Chat whispered into her ear.

"Who's Natalie?" Marinette whispered back.

Chat shushed her and the two remained stock still until the footsteps beside them had passed.

They both let out a breath and Marinette realized with a growing blush just how close they were. Chat's piercing green eyes were only inches from her face. The soft, black hoodie hugged his figure closely and she could make out a bead of sweat rolling down his neck and down into…

"Wow, will you look at the time!" Marinette coughed, painfully hitting the back of her head against the wall. It wasn't exactly a lie. She had five minutes until break time was over and she had no idea where she was.

She stumbled to her bike and secured her materials on the handles. "Bye Chat!" she yelled while pedaling like her life depended on it.

"Farewell, my Princess" he said, watching the figure disappear into the distance.

* * *

"Honestly, I'm surprised when you're _not_ late, Ladybug" Miss Bustier said, shaking her head.

"Sorry Miss, I got caught up with something and I kind of lost track of time. I'll try my best to make up for it" Ladybug said, stooping with her hands on her knees and catching her breath.

Practice began as usual and the day continued on with the excitement of tomorrow's comeback lingering in the air.

* * *

Ladybug stood outside her manager's door and waited for her to be finished talking with her client. The sky through the window was now pitch black and the city's lights dotted the horizon.

The door opened and Papillon stepped out. Ladybug and Papillon made brief eye contact, but both turned away with a huff.

Tikki poked her head out. "Oh Ladybug, it's you! Is anything the matter?"

"Um yeah, actually I need to talk to you about something" Ladybug said, closing the door behind her.

Before her stood Tikki, her personal stylist, make-up artist, and manager. Today she wore an off-shoulder lace dress with two thin shoulder straps supporting the soft material, frills delicately lining her chest and blossoming into a full skirt that bunched together at her knees. A black ribbon wrapped around her petit waist and white stockings extended upwards from glossy, ruby-red flats. Her jet-black hair was topped with her signature red polka dotted hairband and youthful eyes peered out from underneath her bangs. Her short stature and innocent smile often caused the woman to be mistaken for a college student, or at times a high schooler, when she was in fact in her early twenties.

"Okay, I'm just going to get straight to the point" Ladybug said, pulling out a chair from Tikki's desk. "Why hasn't this dating scandal been cleared up yet? It usually takes less than 24 hours for a manager or CEO to announce a rumor as fake, but it's been three days already. And not to mention, Chat's Instagram photo made things so much worse" Ladybug glowered, the stinging failure of her photo-deleting extravaganza still fresh in her mind.

Tikki scratched her head. "Um, actually there were a small change of plans" she started hesitantly.

Ladybug adjusted in her seat. She had a bad feeling about this. "And…?" she said, eyes wide and urging her manager to continue.

Tikki avoided Ladybug's gaze. "Well you see, Papillon just came in and he kind of had this thing in mind…" She twiddled her thumbs.

Ladybug's leg bounced up and down and a trickle of sweat slid down her temple.

"And…and uh…you and Chat Noir are going to be in a new sub-unit called Ladynoir! For the fans!" Tikki chuckled awkwardly and stared at Ladybug with one eye twitching involuntarily.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the night.

 **I don't have much to say for this chapter except that it was pretty fun to write! And sorry for the slight delay in updating :( Anyways, I'm pretty excited for the Volpina episode to come out so I'll have some nice source material to inspire me when adding her to the plot later on. Volpina hype!**


	5. Extra: Band member profiles

**Hello! This is a bonus chapter where I'll list out the profiles because it's really difficult trying to incorporate them into the story without it coming off as extremely awkward and monotonous, and I'll also be deleting that short excerpt in chapter 3 where the members of Blaqq Label are introducing themselves (don't worry if you missed it, it really wasn't that great haha). Also, I felt really bad for being a terrible human being (more on that in the end notes) so hopefully this will serve as partial compensation? *hides***

 _For non-kpop fans: a "maknae" is the youngest member of the group, a "lead" position is second behind a main position, and a "visual" is considered the most attractive member (superficial, but korean beauty standards lol)  
_

* * *

ML Entertainment

CEO: Papillon

Artists under ML Entertainment: Lukki Charms, Blaqq Label, Jagged Star, Volpina

* * *

 **Lukki Charms**

 _Manager: Tikki_

Ladybug – leader, main vocalist

Reflekta – visual, main rapper

Princess Fragrance – maknae, main vocalist

Lady Wi-Fi – lead rapper, lead dancer

Timebreaker – main dancer, rapper

Horrificator – lead vocalist, rapper, dancer (all-rounder)

* * *

 **Blaqq Label**

 _Manager: Plagg_

Dark Cupid – leader, lead vocalist

Chat Noir – main rapper, vocalist

Bubbler – lead rapper, DJ

Stoneheart – maknae, rapper, instrumentalist

Gamer – main dancer, instrumentalist

Evillustrator – main vocalist, visual

* * *

 **Jagged Star**

 _Manager: Ms. Mendeleiev_

Antibug – leader, main vocalist

Vanisher – main rapper, maknae

Stormy Weather – main dancer, visual

* * *

Solo artist: Volpina (originally a member of Jagged Star but left due to member conflicts)

 **Hey guys...**

 **I'm sorry that this isn't the update that you were expecting, but recently I've decided that I need to focus on my studies from now until the first week of May because I'm nowhere near prepared for my AP exams (junior year's kicking my butt), and I really didn't want to multitask and rush through badly written chapters in order to keep the story going.**

 **Again, I'm extremely sorry! But don't worry, this doesn't mean that I'm discontinuing the story because I'll start back up immediately on May 8th! I understand if you hate me for doing this but for those of you who have the patience, please wait for my return. I promise I'll do my best to update as fast as possible once exams are over since we'll practically be doing nothing at school haha.**

 **Sorry everybody and see you in a month in a Ladynoir subunit chapter!**


	6. The Beginnings of Ladynoir

**Hey guys I'm back! I'm so sorry for updating late, but I had an AP Exam on Wednesday I forgot to tell you guys about beforehand. So please take this slightly longer chapter as my apology :')**

Ladybug was not happy.

She sat with her arms crossed tightly across her chest in the small and cluttered room that lay wedged between the girl's and boy's dorms. It was usually vacant because Papillon didn't want any romance to interfere with the idols' careers.

Her eyes were weary and tinged pink, _almost_ as if she had stayed up all night thinking about the nightmare of a subunit she would be forced into the following day. She wore a red graphic sweater with black yoga pants, and her hair was combed into loose pigtails.

Beside her sat Chat Noir, who was clearly having the time of his life. He had one foot propped onto the table and he leaned the chair back on its hind legs, reclining into his arms while whistling a tune. His ensemble was a bit more toned down than usual but still had his signature Chat Noir flair to it. He wore black jeans and a black button-down adorned with lime green accents. He had even painted his nails black the night before just for the heck of it.

The door opened and Tikki and Plagg shuffled in, each holding a large packet of papers.

"Good morning!" Chat Noir held up a peace sign.

Ladybug lay her head down against the table.

Tikki cleared her throat "Okay, so I'm sure both of you have heard of Papillon's latest request…"

Chat Noir sat crisscrossed and enthusiastically nodded his head. Ladybug grunted.

Plagg straightened his paperwork "To get straight to the point, we're going to form a Ladynoir subunit starting today and we already have the necessary materials prepared for us, such as the concept, title tracks, composer collaborations, and such. Preparation in the recording studio will carry on while Plaqq Label wraps up their comeback and Lukki Charms begins theirs."

Tikki turned her gaze to Ladybug "This decision came as a surprise for us all, but I will be accepting no laziness or disobedience. You guys signed up for this job, and part of being an idol is sacrificing personal preference for professionalism. Got that?" She quirked an eyebrow at Ladybug.

Ladybug put a little more effort to look up and agreed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

Plagg looked at the two polar-opposite idols. "Now with that settled, let's head over to Studio C."

* * *

Volpina was hungry. She walked down the main corridor towards the kitchen dressed in a comfortable but stylish ensemble - black skinny jeans, boots, and a sleek off-shoulder blouse. She turned a corner and saw Chat Noir, Ladybug, Tikki, and Plagg walking opposite her.

"Good morning Volpina! How are you?" Tikki chirped.

Volpina instantly flashed her signature eye smile. "I'm fine, thank you! Just grabbing a snack in the kitchen" she beamed.

"Okay, take care!" Tikki waved and the group parted.

Volpina wiped off her smile once she was out of Tikki's viewpoint and continued walking on. Once she reached the kitchen, she made a u-turn and snuck into a narrow corridor nearby the main hallway.

She walked quickly and quietly, staying close to the wall and pausing at any sounds.

Volpina heard the distant murmuring of a group of people and rounded the corner. She peered over the edge of the wall and saw them go into Studio...C? If she remembered correctly, it was the exclusive recording studio that had been abandoned due to the lack of multi-gendered subunits.

She waited for the door to shut before dashing to the recording studio. Carefully prying the heavy door open, she peered through a small crack into the dim room.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were sitting on a couch while Tikki and Plagg sat opposite of them across a coffee table stacked high with file folders, paperwork, and various forms and contracts.

She closed the door slightly and pressed her ear against the door, listening intently.

"Papillon wants this subunit to be called Ladynoir since the fans are already fond of this ship name. So far, a concept we've agreed on is a mature and romantic, but we haven't branched out much from there. Any suggestions?"

"Superheroes?!" Chat burst out, almost as if he had been waiting for this opportunity for nine lives.

Tikki nodded with approval and quickly took note on a sheet of paper, but Ladybug and Plagg were not so fond of the idea.

Plagg stretched his long, gangly legs across the table and leaned back into the couch, casually laying an arm across Tikki's shoulders, to which Tikki happily leaned into.

"Nah, too much work" he dismissed.

Ladybug added on "Too cheesy" _And I'm not cut out to be a superhero_ she added silently in her head.

Chat Noir's eyes lighted up and his hands gestured wildly "but don't you want a magical girl transformation?" He sprang to his feet and pretended to don a superhero suit while making _fwoom_ and _fwip_ sound effects, flashily concluding the demonstration with a lightning strike pose.

Ladybug face-palmed and smiled to herself. "What a dork" she whispered under her breath.

Plagg sighed "don't tell me you've come up with a costume to match your choreography"

Chat Noir drew in a deep breath but Tikki interrupted his incoming rant "okay guys, I'll ask Papillon what he thinks about the concept but we need to get moving on"

They nodded and changed topics, and Volpina silently closed the door before she could get caught.

She had seen enough. Ladybug, the most loved idol out of all of ML Entertainment was getting yet another special project for her to gain even more fans. And with Chat Noir, of all people. Volpina couldn't deny that she was jealous of Ladybug's spotlight and that she wanted her solo to be as loved as Ladybug's was, but this was the idol life after all.

She turned away and bumped into a wall of yellow. When she came to her senses, she looked up into the face of Antibug, who had her arms placed on her hips and was staring down at her condescendingly.

"Watch where you're going, fox."

Volpina got up to her feet and drew herself to her full height. "At least I don't need an invisible "friend" who clings around me all day to tell me how to function as a human being."

Antibug turned her nose up with a "hmph" and turned to the side, yellow outfit glittering and rippling in the light.  
She was in full idol garb, wearing a black nylon long-sleeved crop top with shoulder pads and a plunging neckline while a latex lemon yellow pencil skirt hugged legs that teetered on 4-inch heels. Her jewelry and makeup were excessive as usual, with studs adorning her shoulders, several long strands of metal and gold hanging from her neck and harsh, smudged lines of black and yellow extending in a cat eye from her smokey eyes.

Volpina was about to walk away when Antibug noticed where she had come from.

"Hey, what were you doing in Studio C?"

"Just the usual. Why don't use see for yourself?"

Antibug swallowed her pride and peeked into the recording studio. Her eyes widened and she closed the door with a snap.

"Hey isn't that Ladynoir and Chat Noir? What are they doing in there?" she whispered to Volpina, eyes darting around frantically.

Volpina examined her nails with disinterest. "I heard your precious Ladybug is forming a subunit with Chat."

"Wow, Ladybug's amazing! How does she manage to do all of this?"

Volpina choked down a disgusted laugh. She never thought that even Antibug would join in on this ridiculous Ladybug craze. "Hey, you found the right person to ask. I am Ladybug's childhood friend after all." She continued to inspect her manicure.

"Woah, really? You, Volpina, are Ladybug's childhood friend?" Volpina smiled smugly at being able to shed Antibug's cool exterior. "Yeah, jealous?"

Antibug turned to Volpina with excited eyes and ignored her taunt. "So do you know who she is without eyeliner? Every time I ask she always comes up with an excuse and leaves. Who knows, maybe I might have even met her already."

Volpina coughed. "I mean, that's confidential information. I think it's best if you find out on your own." She rubbed her neck and looked away.

Antibug brushed her hair behind her ear and her cheeks tinged a soft shade of red. "Wow you're so lucky to be Ladybug's friend. She's so gorgeous and talented."

Volpina constrained her bubbling jealousy. "Yeah, whatever" she dismissed and turned on her heel, walking back to her dormitory.

Studio C had clearly been hastily refurnished and put back into working condition after being abandoned for months or even years. The room was lighted dimly, and adorned with an assortment of microphones, audio mixing systems, wires, instruments, speakers, and a layer of Plexiglas that separated the monitor and recording rooms. A brand new leather couch and coffee table were placed on the right side of the monitor room, and a stark-clean bulletin board and white board lined the walls above them.

* * *

"Hey Chat, your timing's a little off on the second verse. Let's give it another try." Plagg said into the microphone.

"Yes sir" Chat saluted.

It was noon and the team had worked hard for the past few hours, going over contracts and agreements, reviewing song samples, planning filming and music show schedules, and even recording a part of the album preview track.

Ladybug and Chat Noir began their fourth run of the track, and Ladybug and Chat's lines danced and weaved around each other. Her strong voice was at times supported by his sweet baritones, and at other times Chat rapped smoothly while Ladybug adlibbed underneath him. The melody flowed and surged as the passionate voices carried the tune, twisting and filling the expanse of the room. When they finished, they each took off their headphones and turned towards the other, grinning cheekily.

"That was wonderful, you guys! I think this is the best decision Papillon has made in a while!" Tikki smiled when the duo walked out of the recording section.

Plagg walked up behind Tikki and slyly slid an arm around her waist. "Yeah, yours voices harmonize very well" he offered a lop-sided grin.

Tikki giggled and stood up on her tip toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Ew, get a room!" Ladybug and Chat exclaimed simultaneously.

"Jinx! Jinx again!"

"Hey I said it first!" "No, I did!" "First one to the kitchen is the winner!"

Chat sprinted out of the studio and glanced back, smiling wildly. Ladybug was dangerously fast and grabbed onto his collar within mere seconds.

"O-ow! That hurt, my Lady!" Chat whined exaggeratedly, wincing and rubbing his neck once Ladybug let go.

Ladybug put her hands on her hips and smirked playfully down at his hunched form. "I hope you learned your lesson, little kitty. No one messes with this Lady here."

"Hey lovebirds, don't be late to your individual activities this afternoon!" Tikki called from down the hallway.

"We won't!" Chat yelled back.

"Hey, we're not lovebirds what are you talking about we just started t- " Ladybug shouted. Chat set a finger to her lips. "Shh my Lady, don't want to strain that precious voice of yours" he winked.

Ladybug blushed but quickly covered it up with a stoic expression. "Follow me if you don't want to starve to death and lose "Chat Oppa's Beautiful Abs"" Ladybug mimicked in a high-pitched fangirl voice, dragging Chat to the kitchen with a steel grip on his wrist.

Chat had to restrain himself from squealing at his dream come true of Ladybug grabbing his wrist k-drama style.

The two grabbed their pre-made and nutritionally balanced meals out of the fridge and heated them together in the microwave.

"Was it just me, or was that subunit the easiest thing I've ever recorded?" Chat started, eyes grinning brightly at Ladybug.

Ladybug couldn't hold it in anymore. "Right?! It felt like magic! Like usually there's always one part that just takes _forever_ to harmonize between the members, but that didn't even happen once this morning. I've never felt so…so alive!" Ladybug wrung her pigtails and hopped on her feet excitedly.

"Oh my god, you felt it too?! It was even easier than my subunit with Bubbler!"

"Woah same for when I sang with Lady Wifi!"

The two squealed and high-fived violently until the microwave's beep sliced through the air and brought them back to Earth.

Chat Noir cleared his throat and adjusted his collar while Ladybug straightened her sweater. "I mean, it's not like I'm in love, it was just on another level, you feel" Chat Noir said, turning his head away uncomfortably. "Yeah" Ladybug agreed, equally awkward.

The duo sat down with their meals and began to eat.

"Hey Chat?" Ladybug started, poking her vegetables and avoiding his gaze.

"Hm?" Chat looked up while chewing a mouthful of white chicken sprinkled with protein powder.

"Um…I'm sorry if I was rude this morning. I was just tired and I guess…I guess I misjudged you. Sorry." Ladybug set her chopsticks down and looked at her lap.

"Ladybug, don't be like that." He leaned across the table and lifted her chin up. "Everyone makes mistakes. I forgive you for being human." Chat said softly.

Their gazes connected, bright blue and electric green fixated on each other while the neutral tones of the kitchen disappeared from view.

"Am I interrupting a moment here?" a voice interrupted, firm and feminine.

The duo spun around swiftly to see Stormy Weather leaning on the doorframe, crossing her platform heels and looking at the two shrewdly. She wore a striped dress that showed off her figure in shades of violet and lavender.

"Stormy Weather." Chat said menacingly.

"Yes, that's my name alright" she chuckled breathlessly. "Hmm I wonder what the rumors will be like if everybody finds out that Ladybug's got yet another guy wrapped around her finger. Let's see…there was Evillustrator, Nino, oh and what about that sculptor guy?" she counted on her fingers. "Ooh I believe the word here would be, slut!" She spat the last word out vehemently at Ladybug, holding her with a steely gaze.

Ladybug drew a deep breath and rolled up her sleeves before Chat turned back to look at her, offering a small half-smile. "I'll handle this, my Lady."

Ladybug sputtered but Chat had already started striding towards Stormy Weather.

"Listen here little pig-tail copier, but I don't think you know who you're talking about over here. Her name is Ladybug and she has never and will never stoop as low as you as to freaking _slut-shame_ someone because of some petty rumors you heard on the internet. I think I'll have to ask Ms. Mendeleiev to lend you a dictionary so that you can look up the definitions of words before you start throwing them around. So if you could please excuse yourself and stop sticking your nose into everyone's business, I would really appreciate it. Have a good afternoon."

Stormy Weather opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out. She took a final moment to glare at both Chat Noir and Ladybug, then stormed (sorry i had to) out of the room.

"You know Chat, I could've handled that myself. You really didn't have to stand up for me." Ladybug rubbed her head.

Chat placed a hand on her shoulder and peered into her eyes. "It's okay Ladybug, it was partly my fault anyways. But whenever anybody dares to hurt you like that, I just can't stop myself from defending you, and know that I will fight for you time and time again, no matter the consequences. So please, my Lady, promise me that you'll stop bearing all the pain by yourself because I'll always be here for you."

Ladybug couldn't help but smile at his sincerity and replied "I promise."

The heavy atmosphere was broken when Chat glanced down at his watch and yelped. "Oh my god, I'm going to be late for my photoshoot! Er, I mean a k-pop related shoot of course haha. Bye!" Chat waved and bounded away.

"Bye bye little kitty! You'll do _meow_ nificent!" Ladybug called.

Chat pumped his fist in the air as his heart thumped wildly. _First_ _base_ , _Ladybug said a cat pun._

* * *

Adrien had arrived just in time for his magazine photoshoot. His dad looked at him sternly upon his arrival, tapping foot signaling that he would have scolded Adrien if it weren't for the masses of people surrounding him at that moment.

The model weaved through the crowd and to his fashion manager, Natalie. "So Natalie, anything special planned this time?" he asked.

"Actually, yes." Natalie said, scanning her clipboard. " _Maxim_ wanted to do a special excerpt on the k-pop industry and they're giving you the option to invite an idol to join your photoshoot. Got anyone in mind?"

Adrien lowered his head and grinned into his clasped hands.

"I believe so."

 **Yay Ladynoir chapter! I was scared how this chapter would come out because I came into it with no idea of how I wanted it to go lol. It was also pretty hard to get back into writing fanfiction, but I actually like how this chapter turned out :) Anyways, since testing is now officially over, I may or may not have another chapter out on Sunday. Lastly I want to thank each and every one of you who waited for me and understood my academic pain; thank you so much! 3**


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